It has been said that, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We would submit one humble addition. We maintain the contention that, with a high degree of certainty, the whitetail deer will create incomparable havoc on Cecil County roadways from now through mid December. If you live or work in or around Cecil County, seeing deer is not uncommon, frankly, at any time during the year. So, what is the big deal about Fall that creates such a high risk of deer strike on area roadways? Rutting season.

For the uninitiated, this is the time of year when amorous deer take care of business so that there can be new Bambi’s come springtime. As instinct kicks in, male deer are inclined to travel further on any day during this season in search of a mating partner. Couple that with a seasonal decrease in temperatures which result in a scarcity in the whitetail’s food source, and you have a compounded influence driving the deer further and further each day. Think of it this way. If you moved 10 miles further away from your job, your daily commute would increase by 20 miles. This would result in roughly 5000 miles driven each year. Another 5000 miles behind the wheel each year is going to invariably drive up your chances of getting in an accident. Well, the same is true for our whitetail friend. Prior to rutting season, his daily travels only took him so far. But, when food becomes scarce and his biological instincts kick in telling him to search out a mate, he is simply covering more ground on any given day, this increasing his chances of crossing Route 40 and getting hit by one of us. It’s the law of large numbers and the odds favor none of us.

If you grew up in this area, none of this should come as news. But, our communities are growing and there are fewer places each year for deer to call home. As this continues, we will continue to see a continued uptick in deer strike. In the meantime, we would pass along the following. First, always make sure your tire tread depth and brake system are in good shape. You’ll need them to be if you intend to stop with little notice from wildlife (or other drivers for that matter). Secondly, as always, our shop is always here to help for any collision regardless of what the contributing factors happened to be. We are proud to be your first and final choice in auto body repair in Cecil County.